Plant profile: Hepatica

HEPATICA

Among the first flowers to appear in spring, hepaticas can help brighten shady corners with their delicate, pastel-coloured flowers

WORDS NAOMI SLADE PHOTOGRAPHS JASON INGRAM

Hepatica nobilis This clump-forming evergreen perennial is widespread throughout most of Europe. The flowers are carried over glossy, three-lobed foliage and come in variable shades of white, blue and pink. 10cm. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 3a-7b† .

Hepatica nobilis var. japonica A compact evergreen perennial, the leaves of this variety form pointed lobes. While usually ivorywhite in colour, pinks and reds are sometimes found and this yellow is a rarity. 5-8cm.

PLANT PROFILE

What Small, clump-forming perennials in the buttercup family, characterised by their lobed leaves. Usually evergreen but occasionally deciduous. Origins Distributed widely across the northern temperate zone. Season Usually flowering March to May. The plants will bloom a little earlier if grown in a cold greenhouse. Size From 4cm to 40cm high. Conditions Light soil and good drainage are essential, with sunshine and moisture in spring and shade in summer. Hardiness European species are reliably hardy outdoors in the UK; other species are better grown in a cold greenhouse.

*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.

Hepatica americana Eco Group Prevalent in northern areas of North America, H. americana flowers between March and June in the wild. Eco Group comprises seedlings from Don Jacobs’ selections and have fabulously marbled leaves with white or pastel-coloured flowers. 10-15cm.

Hepatica ‘Hazelwood Froggie’ This accidental hybrid was discovered by National Collection holder Glenn Shapiro. With masses of upward-facing blue flowers and handsome foliage, it is vigorous and free flowering. 15cm. Hepatica nobilis blue bicolour group Hardy in the British climate as are all H. nobilis cultivars, these small but striking blue-and-white flowers are produced in February and March, standing proud of the variable, marbled leaves. 9-15cm.

ainty, charming and ever so slightly

Drecalcitrant, hepaticas are among the loveliest flowers of spring. Part of the vast buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, Hepatica is made up of around 12 species. The plants are compact and perennial with diverse flowers and intriguingly patterned leaves, yet in British gardens, they remain something of a specialist subject.

In part, this is down to the fact that hepaticas are a challenge to produce in bulk for commercial distribution. The seeds – technically achenes, or single-seeded fruit – need to be sown immediately when ripe and must be exposed to frost the following winter to germinate. As a result, they tend only to be available from enthusiasts and specialist growers, such as Ashwood Nurseries near Birmingham, owned by hepatica expert John Massey. However, the various species interbreed willingly, so once a collection is established, it can be easily expanded.

John has travelled widely in Europe, Asia and the USA to see hepaticas in the wild, where it is evident that the plants are also very precise in their absolute requirement for well-drained, woodland-style conditions. “They are basically spring-flowering, snow-melt plants, which grow on a slope, in open, fertile soil under trees and shrubs,” he explains. “In the wild, you find them near rivers and streams where there is high humidity. But the main thing with hepaticas is to keep an eye on the drainage.” In the wild, hepaticas extend across the northern hemisphere, from Europe and Asia to North America.“In Europe, there are two basic species,” says John. “There is Hepatica nobilis, which is found across much of the continent, including Sweden and Russia down through the Balkans and into Greece. There are regional varieties, but it is not found in Britain, unfortunately. Hepatica transsilvanica, meanwhile, has larger flowers and is found in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains.” The majority of Hepatica species are found in Asia. Rare Hepatica falconeri grows along the Silk Road, in Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, while three species are found in Korea. These include Hepatica maxima, the largest growing of all the hepaticas and an important breeding parent, together with Hepatica asiatica – also found in China – and Hepatica

Hepaticas grow in insularis, which is similar to Hepatica asiatica, but smaller and considered open, fertile soil under more garden worthy. The real horticultural epicentre is trees and shrubs. In the Japan. With numerous varieties across the region, hepaticas have been wild, you nd them collected in Japan since 1603 and have achieved almost cult status there. It is near rivers and streams the source of diverse wild-origin To continue turn to page 59

Hepatica nobilis var. japonica ‘Toho’ While not hardy outside, this is a very good plant for greenhouse growing. The densely double, mauve-blue flowers are carried in neat rosettes over glossy, lightly marbled foliage. 15-20cm.

Hepatica acutiloba One of two species of hepatica found growing in North America, H. acutiloba has evergreen leaves with sharp lobes, and hairy stems and young foliage. The white or pastel flowers can be wonderfully fragrant. 10-22cm. RHS H6. Hepatica nobilis ‘Stained Glass’ Pretty light-blue flowers play second fiddle to the foliage in this form. Described by Ashwood Nurseries as the best marbled-leaved cultivar they have ever seen, it comes true from seed. 9-15cm.

How to grow Hepatica

• The most reliable hepaticas for UK gardens are cultivars of European Hepatica nobilis and H. transsilvanica, and their hybrid H. x media. Given the right conditions, H. maxima may also be hardy. Asian and American hepaticas are fussier and it is worth building up a degree of expertise before experimenting with Japanese cultivars in the garden, as they are both more tender and more expensive.

• Species and cultivars vary in their preferences. In Japan, hepaticas spend winter insulated by snow and detest harsh, drying winds, so are best grown under glass in the UK. H. maxima likes humidity and deep shade, while H. transsilvanica will take a warmer, drier site as long as its roots can penetrate a cool alpine crevice, or run under a rock.

• Grown outdoors, hepaticas like plenty of water and light in spring, thriving on banks under deciduous shrubs and trees where they can enjoy both early sunshine and good drainage. At ground level, they dislike overcrowding and competition, but combine well with hellebores, Cyclamen coum, scilla and miniature narcissus.

• Hepaticas hate compaction; add plenty of organic matter before planting, and loosen soil after working nearby.

• In an alpine house or well-ventilated, unheated greenhouse (kept above -3ºC), grow in free-draining, humus-rich compost in clay pots. Water sparingly when not in active growth and pot up annually.

• Watch out for greenfly and vine weevil, especially if growing in containers and under glass. Cut off diseased or tiredlooking leaves and remove old foliage as buds swell. Pinch out fading petals and old stems to avoid mildew getting into the centre of the plant. You can apply a liquid feed in spring or autumn.

• In September, you can divide hepaticas gently into individual crowns, with roots attached, then pot up into humus-rich, free-draining compost. Water well. Try not to compress the growing medium.

• Harvest seed when it ripens, about 60 days after flowering, preferably when still green, and sow immediately on the surface of pots of compost. Cover with 1cm of horticultural grit, water well and leave outside in a shady spot; if the immature embryo dries out it will die.

• Germination requires a period of cold and seedlings usually emerge the following spring. Asian species can take two years to germinate. Let young plants to grow on for a few months, then prick out into alpine pans. Pot up individually a year later.

Hepatica x schlyteri A hybrid of H. maxima and H. nobilis and combining the best qualities of its parents, this seed-raised plant has large evergreen leaves and attractive flowers in shades of pink, bright pink or deep blue. 20-30cm.

Hepatica noblis var. japonica f. magna Popular in Japan, this is the most exciting form of hepatica. Its relatively large and highly variable flowers may be single or double and its petals, stamens and pistils come in a huge array of colours. 15-20cm. Hepatica transsilvanica x H. henryi One of John Massey’s seedlings, and one that he sells as H. yamatutai x H. transsilvanica. The large, beautifully formed flowers are carried over a carpet of vigorous foliage. Hardy in the garden. 10-15cm.

Hepatica insularis One of the smallest hepaticas, the deciduous H. insularis hails from the southern part of Korea and the flowers and delicately hairy, sometimes marbled leaves appear at about the same time. 4-7cm.

Hepatica noblis var. japonica f. magna hybrid A dainty seedling of this highly diverse group, it has delicate green and white petals with cerise anthers providing a shocking contrast. Sometimes listed as H. japonica var. nipponica f. magna. 15-20cm. Hepatica nobilis f. pubescens This wild origin Japanese variant has simple white flowers with dark pistils at the centre. The lobed foliage is splashed with light green and densely covered with fine hairs. John lists it as H. japonica var. pubescens. 8-10cm.

MANY THANKS TO JOHN MASSEY OF ASHWOOD NURSERIES IN THE WEST MIDLANDS WHERE THESE IMAGES WERE TAKEN

cultivars, particularly forms of Hepatica noblis var. japonica f. magna, which has become hugely influential, both in its natural state and among hybridisers. In English, the common name for hepaticas, liverleaf, is derived from the similarity of the lobed leaves to the liver. The Japanese use the more romantic yukiwariso, or ‘breaking snow plants’.

When species meet in collections, spontaneous crosses can result in promising new cultivars, such as Hepatica ‘Hazelwood Froggie’. Also, breeders and enthusiasts are constantly tinkering with the plants – for example, John has created a robust new cross he describes as H. yamatutai x H. transsilvanica. Botanists, who still class H. yamatutai within H. henryi, would prefer he called it H. transsilvanica x H. henryi.

This is far from the only uncertainty over names. While the plants themselves are lovely, Hepatica nomenclature seems to inspire a lot of heated debate. Closely related to Anemone, Hepatica nobilis was originally classified as Anemone hepatica, and recent phylogenetic and molecular analysis has caused some experts to suspect that hepaticas are, after all, anemones, and should be reclassified as such. In North America, the two native species (H. acutiloba and H. americana) are already frequently regarded as Anemone acutiloba and A. americana, although here

While the plants in the UK there remains a certain inertia in the ranks of horticulture. themselves are lovely, And the confusion does not stop there. John believes that the Japanese variety Hepatica nomenclature H. nobilis var. japonica should be a species in its own right and has named seems to inspire a lot the plants he sells accordingly. Recent DNA studies suggest he may be correct, of heated debate but for the time being it remains officially within Hepatica nobilis. Debate will no doubt continue to rage on, but naming headaches aside, for the gardener there is a lot to love about hepaticas. The marbling of the leaves is divine and the miniature flowers are like works of art. The closer you look, the more there is to appreciate and discover about a plant that is both delightful and thoroughly addictive. n Where to see and buy • Ashwood Nurseries Ashwood Lower Lane, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 0AE. Tel 01384 401996, ashwoodnurseries.com • Edrom Nurseries Coldingham, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TD14 5TZ. Tel 01890 771386, edrom-nurseries.co.uk • Hazelwood Farm* Hollins Lane, Silverdale, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 0UB. hazelwoodfarm.co.uk. *National Collection Holder